5 Tips for Writing Dramatic Scenes in a Novel | eBooks India. A novel is, essentially, a string of scenes that, when read in order, make up a story. There is no need for every single scene to be dramatic, but most of them should. Some scenes are dramatic by nature: scenes of revelations, climax and danger. However, if the rest of your scenes lack a little bit of drama and conflict, then those scenes are just filler scenes and will bore the reader. The tips below are meant to help you turn an existing scene (that you’ve written before) into a scene that has more conflict and is more dramatic than before. 1. Making your protagonist, or the person he is talking to, refuse to communicate, or to keep a vital piece of information secret, can make an ordinary scene of exchanging information into a battle of wits and wills. 2.
Making an ordinary situation humorous is bound to ensure the scene will stay in the readers’ minds long after reading. 3. 4. Memories are a good way to add backstory to your characters. 5. Image credit: Pixabay Comments. Four Ways to Pre-Write Your Scenes. By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Some writers can sit down, open up a page, and write. Others need a little prep work before diving into a new scene. I'm one of the latter, and I've found I'm a lot more productive if I take a few minutes to figure out what I'm going to write before I write it. There are all kinds of ways to plan your scenes, but consider figuring out the plot-driving elements first. Using The Shifter as an example, let's look at some ways to plan your scenes: 1. For the structured writer, try a traditional outline. I. A. 1. A. 2. B. 1. A. A traditional outline can be useful to map out how the scene unfolds without going into a lot of extra detail. 2.
For the writer who likes structure, but wants a little more freedom, try hitting just the high points of the scene. Scene: Nya gets caught stealing eggs POV: Nya Goal: To steal eggs for breakfast, then just to get away Internal Conflict: She feels bad about stealing, but if she doesn't do it she'll starve. 3. 4. How to Use Backstory to Keep Readers Reading | Elizabeth Spann Craig. By K.M. Weiland, @KMWeiland Backstory is a weapon. And just like any weapon, it can end up doing more harm than good to those who wield it without proper experience and care. But in the hands of a writer who knows exactly what it’s capable of and how to wield it to advantage, backstory can take even ordinary stories to extraordinary places.
Arguably, the most important function of backstory is its ability to hook readers’ curiosity. Charlotte Brontë understood how to wield the weapon of backstory as well any author. What Is Your Backstory? Before you can use backstory to hook readers, you first have to have a backstory. Protagonist Jane Eyre’s tragic backstory is shared straight-up (for the most part). How Does Your Backstory Power the Plot?
Even relatively mundane backstories can capture readers’ attention, but only if they matter to the story as a whole. Mr. What Is Your Backstory’s Hook? Brontë builds her hook into the very walls of Thornfield Hall. K.M. Creating Scene-By-Scene Outlines For Historical Novels, by Michael White | Writing Historical Novels. My brother once told me that he sometimes imagines me writing, and he sees me in a smoking jacket and cravat, thinking great thoughts and putting a few well chosen words on the page. He is of course wrong in every respect. For those writing historical fiction, their labours are often skewed towards research.
So, before any well chosen words are written I would spend a lot of time in libraries and reading about the era I’m writing about. Next I have to work out the plot. In some ways this is the most stressful and demanding stage. Once I have the plot worked out and it flows, makes sense and hangs together, I feel a great weight lift from my shoulders. With the plot written out in note form I then start to create what I call a ‘scene collection’. Sometimes a scene constitutes a chapter. Once I have a collection of one-line scene descriptions I can see if the structure works. At this point it is essential to ensure that each scene is a microcosm of the novel. Michael White’s bio page.